MONTEVALLO, Ala. --- Mississippi College battled hard but came up short on the road, falling 83-77 to Montevallo in Gulf South Conference action Thursday evening at Central State Bank Arena. The loss drops the Choctaws to 7-13 overall and 3-11 in GSC play, while the Falcons improved to 13-7 and 9-5 in conference.

The game was tight throughout, with Mississippi College trailing 35-31 at the half. Despite a strong second-half effort, the Choctaws couldn't close the gap, as Montevallo pulled away late with timely baskets and solid free-throw shooting.

Rashad Bolden led the way for the Choctaws with an impressive 31 points on 10-of-17 shooting, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. Tremaine Dixon also had a strong showing, contributing 17 points, with 5-of-11 shooting from three-point range. Tyshun Briscoe added 14 points, and Odis Carter chipped in 6 points and 5 rebounds off the bench.

For Montevallo, Derek Moore had a dominant performance, scoring 29 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, including 8-of-12 from the free-throw line. Brandon Fussell added 15 points, and Jaylen Curry finished with 15 points and 7 rebounds.

The Choctaws shot 44% (11-25) in the first half and came out firing in the second, shooting 55.6% (15-27). Mississippi College finished 41.7% (5-12) from three-point range. The Choctaws found success at the free-throw line, shooting 84.6% (11-13) in the second half, but it wasn't enough to overcome Montevallo's overall play.

Montevallo shot 52% (13-25) in the first half, and despite cooling off in the second half (50%, 15-30), they were able to rely on their free-throw shooting, hitting 80.95% (17-21) from the line.

The Choctaws will return to action this Saturday, February 1, as they travel to Montgomery, Alabama, to take on Auburn University at Montgomery. Tip-off is set for 4:00 p.m. at the AUM Physical Education Complex.